WAGING SPIRITUAL WAR

There is a spiritual world all around us.

2 KING 6:8 – 10

“Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, ‘At such and such a place shall be my camp.’ But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, ‘Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.’ And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice.”

2 KING 6:11 – 12

“And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, ‘Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?’ And one of his servants said, ‘None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.’”

2 KINGS 6:13 – 14

“And he said, ‘Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.’ It was told him, ‘Behold, he is in Dothan.’ So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.”

2 KINGS 6:15

“When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’”

2 KINGS 6:16

“He said, ‘Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’”

2 KINGS 6:17

“Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of  fire all around Elisha.”

2 KINGS 6:18 – 19

“And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, ‘Please strike this people with blindness.’ So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. And Elisha said to

them, ‘This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.’ And he led them to Samaria.”

We are all involved in a spiritual war all the time.

EPHESIANS 6:12

“For we do not wrestle against fresh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Our enemy in this spiritual war is strong.

1 JOHN 4:1 – 6

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the fresh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

1 TIMOTHY 4:1

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons . . .”

He is pervasive. He is deceptive.

MATTHEW 7:15

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

EPHESIANS 4:14

“. . . tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”

EPHESIANS 5:6

“Let no one deceive you with empty words . . .”

GALATIANS 6:7 & JAMES 1:16

“Do not be deceived . . .”

ACTS 20:29 – 30

“. . .  Fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

Our weapons in this spiritual war are stronger.

So test...

Everything you hear.

2 TIMOTHY 4:3 – 4

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander out into myths.”

So test...

Everything you think.

2 CORINTHIANS 10:4

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”

2 CORINTHIANS 10:5

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ . . .”

And trust...

In the truth about God’s Son.

1 JOHN 4:2 – 3

“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the fresh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.”

He is fully human. He is fully God.

He alone is able to save us from our sins.

1 JOHN 2:2

“He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

EPHESIANS 2:8 – 9

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

He alone rules as Lord of our lives. In the power of God’s Spirit.

1 JOHN 4:4

“. . . you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

1 JOHN 3:24

“Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”

In the Word God has spoken.

The outcome of this spiritual war is sure. We are not fighting for victory.

We are fighting from victory.

REVELATION 12:9 – 11

“And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world – he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 

Thank You Pastor David!!!